Advice for new property

[bduf11]

I have approximately 100 acres that I am trying to manage for some bigger deer. We just purchased this about a year ago and started getting some pictures of bigger bucks around late October through January. We have been feeding the deer all through Sring and Summer but a little disappointed that we haven't gotten pictures of deer with any substantial size.

Any advice on what we should be doing to manage these deer? We have been pumping the corn and minerals to them all summer.

 

[treemanjohn]

100 acres is impossible to manage a herd. Personally I would keep it thick trying to make your property safe land for the deer

 

[lonewolf247]

Like mentioned, it's really hard to manage and control deer on 100 acres. However, 100 acres, in the right location, can be a great little place to hunt.

Just keep in mind, that with minerals and supplements, you can only do so much. Really good advice above! I would concentrate on making your land appealing, and a safe haven to neighboring deer.

Look at the layout of the land, and place stands carefully. Think about how you will access the land, going in, and out, to cause the less disturbance. One of the clubs I hunt, is just my dad, and my brothers who belong to it. It's only 85 acres or so, and we have done pretty well with it over the years.

 

[Mark K]

Describe manage? And then follow the advice already given. Yes you can kill some big deer on 100ac, but there’s no way you’re managing them.

Editing to say it is possible to manage if your 100ac is completely surrounded by thousands of acres or so that no one is hunting.

 

[SlipperyHill Mo]

You can manage 100 acres. Give them food, cover, water, food plots, low pressure and your herd will improve and sightings will increase. Make your 100 acres of their home range appealing. Good luck!

 

[greene_dawg]

Rule #1, dont shoot the youngins

 

[bubbafowler]

I have several small tracts that i hunt. Successful if you're reasonable. I don't expect to kill a giant because all the land around is hunted as well, but we've killed 1 or 2. But I keep sanctuaries that i never go in, food, and cover. I don't kill does. Everyone else around me does. But any 3 year old or older better watch out.

 

[Mexican Squealer]

Have fun and hunt....don’t sweat what you see on your cams or if you are pumping “buck muscle” all season. It’s easy to get caught up in the hype....relax your expectations and reap the rewards when the time is right.

 

[SC Hunter]

Its already been covered but make your place a safe place. Don't pressure them heavily, don't shoot young deer, don't shoot does unless your over run with them, feed them and make bedding areas for them. You will catch a mature deer slipping through if the ladies are there. It is nearly impossible to manage 100 acres but you can make the deer more comfortable. Expect to get your heart broken when you have a young up and come getting big and tempting who walks onto the neighbors place and they light him up. It's going to happen.

 

[XJfire75]

What’s the layout? I dabble in habitat management and can help you if you wanna Pm me with an aerial of your land. Building the habitat to benefit more deer and the right layout can turn 100 acres into manageable land depending on where it is and how much work you’re ready to do.

It’s not a bad thing to not have those hit list bucks around all summer. Less mouths to feed keeps your property from becoming a “doe factory” and being overrun with younger deer by planting a buncha food plots and tossing corn out all year can have just as much good as bad results depending on your goals. Providing deer stuff they need in the fall is a main focus I’d be working towards so that they’re there and want to be close when you can hunt them instead of watching a big buck all summer just for him to disappear after velvet.

Keep wind in your favor even when you’re scouting and accessing the place, hunt the edges for an inside out layout. Look up Jeff Sturgis in YouTube if you’re ready to go down that rabbit hole of building a property for white tails lol

 

[roscoe54]

Talk to the land owners around you see if they are willing to manage there land also. One of my neighbors agree with me the other neighbor said his daughter shoots what ever comes out.

 

[Danuwoa]

I hunt two different tracts that are less than 200 acres. You can absolutely do certain things as far as management. It just depends on what you mean by management. Keep them plenty to eat. Put out your mineral blocks during the summer. Don’t go crazy shooting does. If they are there the bucks will be too. Just common sense stuff.

I’m lucky in that I’m surrounded by miles of woods on all sides and the hunters around me either don’t hunt much or don’t try to see how many deer they can kill every year. Just do what you can and enjoy it. Deer hunting is supposed to be fun. People forget that sometimes.

 

[Milkman]

Just hunt

 

[bduf11]

Thanks for all the advice and reinforcing what I am thinking is correct. Good thing for us is that the majority of our neighbors don't hunt or do very little of it which will help out tremendously. We will of course enjoy hunting no matter what happens, the best part is being with the kids and seeing them have fun doing it as well.

 

[Gumpbuck]

Yup, give them a safe place to hang out. I have a couple bottoms and field edge to hunt on about 80 acres. There is a 4 acre pine block that I sit in at times, but mostly we hunt the edges and fire breaks. Unless I'm tracking a deer, we stay out of the bottoms. I'll drive them over to the neighbors property if I go in there too often. The neighbor doesn't hunt much, so not worried about the deer getting shot. But I would rather they hang in my bottoms and I catch them coming out for a bite, then pressure those bottoms just to have them move away...

 

[Dean]

Good recommendations above. Just throw in my .02:
1) Manage your expectations - without prime mature buck bedding area's/safe zone the likelihood is that those pic's you have from OCT-NOV were bucks cruising seeking does. If you kill a mature buck this season, just remember he didn't benefit much from your management during the last year. You are now focusing on the younger bucks and does to improve their health. On 100 acres, if neighbors within 1-3 miles or so are actively hunting, another hunter may 'benefit' from your efforts in terms of killing the bigger bucks -- but that just part of it. Try to find a peace and enjoyment in managing the "property" - you can control that. Let the "bigger bucks" be icing on the cake when it happens
2) Know your neighbors - share what you are attempting in terms of killing only older class bucks, share pic's if you need to....
3) Try to have something planted year around that is different than your neighbors if they plant food-plots too. Obviously work towards 10 acres or more of quality food source/plots.
4) Set-up multiple TC to help you scout the property and when you get daylight pics of the buck you want to hunt, move in and hunt accordingly. Sometimes it is MUCH better to not hunt a smaller tract when conditions aren't prime. Understand wind directions, thermals on your property and access/depart stands and hunt accordingly
5) At this point it's not a major deal (too late this year) but corn only as a supplemental feed during Summer does not help with antler growth, corn is only a carb -- no protein to push to antler growth. About now bucks are not adding antler growth, more a shift to hardening antlers in prep for velvet shedding. The minerals could help here.
6) If you can (depending on property makeup), prescribed burns and timber management/removal of undesirable trees. Try to promote good undergrowth, natural browse not just feed stations and food plots.
7) And remember, it's your property now. Rome wasn't built in a day, and odds are neither will the land/deer improvements.....put in a 3-5 year plan, and work that plan.